Ah, the wonderful series of classic Candlemass re-issues continues un-abated. I was wondering on whether or not Leifs band of not-so-merry men would continue after the Messiah era stuff, and of course, here it is proved to be so.
Following the groundbreaking Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, the trio of Messiah Marcollin studio albums and the live platter, next came “that” album. Chapter VI is probably the least regarded and least spoken out of entire Candlemass discography, and that's really a shame, as this remastered version of the album really does show that there is plenty of good material hidden away between the eight tracks proper. Mr Edling remarks himself, in his (by now) usual candid liner notes, that the recording of the album came about in less than happy circumstances. Following the acrimonious departure of the corpulent operatic front-monk, Leif had decided to keep most of his best songs for what would become Abstrakt Algebra (his short-lived post-Candlemass metal outfit). Couple in with that the breaking in of the new voice of the 'mass, Tomas Vikstrom, and you can see that the band were really setting themselves up for a difficult time.
Some of the awkwardness of the time is reflected in the music. Somewhat more straightforward heavy metal than the doom-laden tunes of yore, there seems to be little in the way of classic riffs and that all important atmosphere. Opener “The Dying Illusion” is a classic up-tempo album starter, while “Julie Laughs No More” is a regrettable sophomore track, unremarkable for anything other than the title. “Where the Runes Still Speak” is a much more powerful track, and perfectly suited for the hard rock pipes of Mr Vikstrom. “The Ebony Throne” has a powerful, lurching chorus, but is rather let down by the lacklustre verse structure. “Temple of the Dead”, pre-dating Nile by well over a decade has a pretty cool Mercyful Fate meets Black Sabbath vibe. Featuring more cod-middle eastern melodies than Hollywood, it's one of the highlights of the album, though suffers from the atrocious keyboard sound that plagues this album. Whatever possessed Candlemass to settle on a synth sound for this album that seems to ape AOR bilge like Foreigner I'll never know! “Aftermath” is a so/so post apocalyptic track, neither convincing as a doom song nor as a straight up metal epic. ”Black Eyes” is much more of a “classic” Candlemass track, though the dry production does rob it of much of the power that would ordinarily come from the legendarily powerful rhythm section. “The End of Pain” is again a frustrating listen. While component riffs are fine, the over-use of synths in the production almost eclipse the steaming hot guitar solo action.
Bonus tracks on the first disc come courtesy of the rather obscure “Sigge Furst” e.p. Apparently cover tracks from the recording career of a Swedish guy who recorded in the 40's and 50's. The up-tempo lunacy of “Bullfest” is actually impossible to dislike, while the remaining three tracks are probably too Swedish to be of interest to any body outside of Scandinavia! (Have a listen for yourself if you don't believe me! See – told you!).
The second disc is a DVD showing eight tracks of the Chapter VI line up playing live in Uddevalla way back in 1993. While perhaps inessential to all but the Candlemass completist, what the footage does show is that the Vikstrom incarnation of Chapter VI was cut prematurely short. Candlemass would reappear with “Dactylis Glomerata” five years later, which while a fine record, would have sounded much better with the Vikstrom's voice. His more conventional rock voice renders classic material like “At the Gallows End” an intriguing edge, and I would have loved to hear him sing more material. That being said, those of you interested in seeing more of his performance can see him featured on the Candlemass reunion party DVD. The package is rounded off by “The Dying Illusion” promo video. Time has not been kind to black and white live footage spliced over studio music!
All in all then, a patchy album, and an ignominious end to the classic instrumental line up of the band prior to their later reunion. That being said, an off colour Candlemass is still superior to most other bands on their best days. Great value for money too. Miss it? I wouldn't.
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